The present invention relates generally to testing fire suppression fluid sprinkler systems, and in particular the testing of flow switches in fire suppression fluid sprinkler systems.
In a typical fire suppression water sprinkler system as installed in many buildings, an array of individual fire sprinklers is supplied with water through a main conduit and various branch conduits. The individual fire sprinklers are generally provided with a member that melts when the ambient temperature reaches a predetermined level indicative of a fire. The melting of the member opens a fire sprinkler to spray water in order to suppress the fire. The individual fire sprinklers are provided with meltable members so that the spray of water will hopefully be limited to the region of the building where the fire is present. In this way, the extent of water damage may be minimized.
Such fire suppression systems also oftentimes have a switch or sensor that detects the flow of water in the conduits to indicate that even only one of the individual water sprinklers has opened. Since the flow of water in the conduits generally means that a fire is present in the building, the switch or sensor typically triggers a fire alarm or sends an appropriate signal directly to a fire department. Therefore, many codes require, and it is generally otherwise desirable, that the switch or sensor which detects the flow of water in the conduits be periodically tested. Accordingly, it has also become conventional in the art to provide a valve which enables the system to be tested by permitting a flow of water corresponding to the flow through only one individual water sprinkler that has been opened.
Various testing valves and arrangements for testing and also for draining fire suppression systems are known in the art such as are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,302,146, 5,103,862, 4,971,109, 4,995,423, 4,852,610, 4,741,361 all of AGF Manufacturing, Inc. These patents are each incorporated herein by reference.
The main water conduit typically has a plurality of branch conduits including a number of sprinkler heads. Typically, a supply valve either for the entire fire suppression system or for a particular floor or for a portion of the system, is provided in the main water conduit. Downstream of the supply valve is the fire suppression fluid flow sensor which is configured to detect a flow through the conduit corresponding at least to the flow through a single sprinkler head. A testing valve may be provided to provide a flow of fire suppression fluid corresponding to the flow through a sprinkler head.
The water flows through the valves and various arrangement for testing fire suppression systems and is then directed to a drain and into the local waste water system. Although an individual test of a fire suppression fluid flow sensor may require 10 to 12 gallons, in a large multi-story building the testing procedure results in the use of a large quantity of water that is ultimately released into the waste water system.
The construction industry has increasingly recognized the environmental, economic and health and community benefits of providing so-called green buildings. The establishment of the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ recognizes that reducing water consumption provides environmental, economic and health and community benefits. These benefits include conserving natural resources, reducing operating costs, enhancing asset value and profits and minimizing the strain on local infrastructure.
In view of the above background information, it is an object of the preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a circulation system by which a fire suppression system may be tested, and fire suppression fluid used during testing is circulated to be reused.
It is another object of the preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a circulation valve and tank arrangement whereby fluid used when a fire suppression system is tested is not discarded as waste.
It is another object of the preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a fluid tank to hold fluid used when a fire suppression system is tested for eventual reintroduction into the fluid supply.
It is another object of the preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide methods whereby fluid used when a fire suppression system is tested is not discarded as waste.
The above objects as well as other objects not specifically mentioned are accomplished by a valve arrangement for testing a fire suppression sprinkler system, in accordance with the present invention, in which a conduit supplies a fire suppression fluid to a plurality of sprinklers. In the arrangement, a circulation valve is provided downstream of a valve arrangement for testing a fire suppression sprinkler system to direct fire suppression fluid used during testing to a fluid holding tank and then to a circulation conduit to be reintroduced to the fluid supply whereby said fire suppression sprinkler system may be tested without waste of fire suppression fluid.